Steering and propelling mechanism for boats



P. COPLAND.

STEERING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1920.

1,386,287, Patented Aug. 2,1921.

Z/mmm 4 WWW PATENT OFFICE.

PETER GOPLAND, OF PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND.

STEERING ANDPROPELLING MECHANISM FO R BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 2 1921.

Application filed April 13, 1920. Serial No. 373,675.

.To all whom it may concern:

versing action applicable to ships, boats and the like, and has for its object to provide such mechanism in a sim le form which can be conveniently and easily applied to all kinds of boats, the mechanism being subst1- tuted for the usual rudder-and belng supported b the rudder irons.

Accor ing to the present invention the rudder carries the propelling mechamsm and is mounted in such a manner at the stern of the boat that it can be operated without interfering with the propelling mechanism, while the propelling mechanism can be controlled by drlving ahead or astern or the ropeller can be thrown out of action. Eor this purpose the propeller shaft lS driven by a vertically movable shaft through bevel gear, arranged for driving in opposite directlons, the shaft being adapted to be locked in any of the required positions by a spring catch.

In the accompanylng drawing Figure 1 shows a side view of an example of con struction according to the present invention,- and Fig. 2 shows a deta1l of a modified form of construction.

On the usual rudder irons 1 at thestern of the boat 2 is mounted a board or plate 3 which is prevented from turning on the rudder irons by means of plates or clamps 4 fitted with set screws 5 adapted to engage with the transom 6 of the boat and thus hold the plate 3 rigidly in position. If desired, however, the board or plate 3 could be secured permanently to the stern of the boat in any suitable manner.

To the board 3 are secured bearings 7 in which is mounted a vertical shaft8carrying at its lower endtwo bevel pmrons 9, 10 arranged for driving in opposite dlrections. To the lower end of the rudder 14 1s cured, by boltin secured, by plates 38 and 40 a castin whlle the rudder is also formed wit an aperture at 18 to accommodate the propeller 19. The drlving shaft 8 passes through bearings 1n bosses 39 formed on the casting, and the rudder 14 with the casting 16 is thus free to turn onthe drivin shaft 8. In the castmg 16 is also formed a bearing 17 in wh1ch is mounted the propeller shaft 13, and on this shaft 13 are keyed the propeller 19 and a bevel wheel 12. The bevel wheel 12 1s adapted to be brought into gear with one or other of the bevel inions 9,10 for driving ahead or astern. he bevel pinions are preferably separated by a distance iece 11 which is of such a length that the driving shaft 8 ma be moved into a position in wh1ch the evel wheel 12 is mid-way between the two bevel pinions 9, 10 and does not lgear with either of them.

T e upper end of the shaft 8 is preferably .of square section at 20 and slides through the boss of a s rocket wheel 21. If desired, however, the s aft could be round and provided with a key engaging in a correspondin slot in the boss of the s rocket wheel or other suitable means could be provided for the purpose of preventin any relative turning movement of the w eel and the shaft while at the same time permitting the shaft to move vertically. Y

The sprocket wheel 21 is mounted in a cage composed of two arms 22,23 so as to prevent any lateral movement thereof. The arm 23 is provided near one end with a socket 24 fitting on the head of the board 3 while the free forward end of the said arm is'seor otherwise, to a cross beam 25 secure to the motor casing 26.

The arm 22 is bolted to the arm 23 by bolts as at 27 The drive from the motor 26 is transmitted to the sprocket wheel 21 by a sprocket wheel 28 and a chain or belt 29. vIt will, of course, be understood that instead of a chain and sprocket wheels, pulleys and belts could beused for transmltting the drive.

For the urpose of vertically moving the shaft so t at one or other of the bevel pinions 9, 10 may gear with the bevel wheel 12 or in order that the shaft 8 may run free,

a lever 30 is pivoted as at 31 to the board On the operation of the lever 30 the driving shaft 8 is moved into a position for propelling ahead or astern, or into the free position being locked in any one of these positions by the engagement of the spring catch 34 in the corresponding notch 36. In the construction shown, for example, the upper notch would correspond to the pos tion for ahead, the central notch to the disengaged position and the lower notch to the position for astern.

The rudder 14 is provided with the usual tiller or yoke 37 by means of which it can be operated to steer the boat without 1n any way interfering with the propelling mechanism, the rudder being free to turn on the driving shaft 8 as hereinbefore described.

The bevel gearing 9, 10 and 12 Wlll preferably be incased for example in alight, water-tight casing 41, shown in section in the drawing, attached to the casting 16.

According to a modified form of construction as shown in Fig. 2, the bevel pinions 9, 10 are mounted so as to be free to slide on the shaft 8 and are in continual engagement with the bevel wheel 12 on the pro-' peller shaft 13. This arrangement avoids the possibility of stripping the teeth on the bevel pinions when bringing them into gear by raising or lowering the shaft 8. In order to drive the bevel wheel 12 from the shaft 8 a clutch member 42 is secured to the shaft whichis adapted to engage with one or other of the clutch faces 43, 44 provided on the bevel pinions 9 and 10 respectively so as to drive the wheel 12 for driving ahead or astern. The clutch member 42 is so arranged that the shaft 8 may be entirely disconnected from the propeller shaft 13, when the clutch member 42 is in the mid position as shown.

The combined steering and propelling h mechanism can be applied conveniently to any boat as it fits on the usual rudder irons in place of the rudder, and can be removed easily for inspection or repair. The motor 26 may be of any convenient type and is secured to the transom 6 of the boat 2 where it is within easy and convenient access.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a steering and propelling mechanism for boats, a vertically movable driving shaft, a forked lever pivotally mounted and engaging with said vertical shaft for the pur pose of raising and lowering the same, means for locking the forked lever in three different positions a rudder rotatably mounted onsaid vertical shaft, a lever secured to said rudder, said lever being used for operating the rudder for steering while the forked lever remains stationary in its locked position, a propeller shaft with a propeller thereon mounted in the rudder, a bevel wheel on the propeller shaft, and two bevel wheels mounted on the vertical shaft on opposite sides of the bevel wheel on the propeller shaft.

2. In a steering and propelling mechanism for boats, a vertically movable driving shaft a forked lever pivotally engaging with said vertical shaft for the purpose of raising and lowering the same, a rack and spring catch coiiperating with the forked lever for holding it in three different positions, a rudder with an opening therein rotatably mounted on the vertical shaft, a lever secured to the upper end of said rudder, said lever being used for operating the rudder for steering while the forked lever remains stationary, a frame and a set of three bevel inions carried therein in intermeshing relation, the vertically movable shaft passing freel through two of said bevel pinions, ,clutc faces on said two bevel pinions, a clutch member on the vertical shaft ada ted to be engaged with either of said clutc faces, a

propeller shaft operatively connected with the middle pinion of the set of bevel pinions and a propeller on said propeller shaft, the pivoted lever being adapted to hold the vertical shaft in three positions so that in one position one of the bevel pinions drives the pinion on the propeller shaft,'in a second position the second pinion drives the pinion on the propeller shaft, and in the third position the propeller shaft is not driven.

3. A steering and propellingmechanism for boats comprising a board with means for securing the same to the transom of the boat, bearings on said board, a vertically movable driving shaft mounted in said bearings, a rudder with independent means for operating the same, the rudder being rotatably mounted on the vertical shaft and aving an opening therein, a casing mounted on the rudder andinclosing the lower end of the vertical shaft, a propeller shaft with a propeller thereon mounted on the rudder and projecting into the casing, the propeller rotating in the opening in the rudder, two bevel wheels with clutch faces freely mounted in said casing and having the vertical shaft passing freely through said bevel pinions, a bevel pinion mounted on the propeller shaft, said pinions being in intermeshing relation, cured to the adapted to be clutch faces, a the vertically a clutch member sei pose of raising and lowering the same, and a rack and spring catch cooperating'with the lever for holding it in three difierent positions, whereby in one position of the 5 vertical shaft the propeller shaft is not driven, in another position of the vertical shaft the propeller is driven through the clutch and one of the bevel pinions engaged therewith, and in a third position the ropeller shaft is driven in the opposite direc- 10 tion through the clutch and the other bevel pinion with which it is then engaged.

PETER COPLAND. 

